Boston Marathonhttps://www.businessinsider.com/category/boston-marathon
en-usTue, 14 Aug 2018 20:22:32 -0400Tue, 14 Aug 2018 20:22:32 -0400The latest news on Boston Marathon from Business Insiderhttps://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttps://www.businessinsider.com
https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-men-quit-at-higher-rates-than-women-2018-7A Stanford economist has a fascinating theory to explain why women may be less likely to quit in a competition than menhttps://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-men-quit-at-higher-rates-than-women-2018-7
Sat, 07 Jul 2018 11:00:00 -0400Shana Lebowitz
<p><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/598483bc76084a1e008b568d-823/shutterstock643402009.jpg" border="0" alt="woman running jogging exercise" data-mce-source="Shutterstock"/></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In the 2018 Boston Marathon, men dropped out at higher rates than women did.</strong></li>
<li><strong>A New York Times op-ed explains a few potential reasons why: For example, women may see success and failure as more fluid than men do.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Stanford economist Muriel Niederle suggests that simply finishing the race may be more valuable for women than for men.</strong></li>
</ul>
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<p><br/>In April, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/opinion/boston-marathon-women-nurse.html">The New York Times</a> published an op-ed explaining why women had been less likely to quit the Boston Marathon earlier that month.</p>
<p>The author, Lindsay Crouse, reported that 5% of men had dropped out, compared to 3.8% of women. That means the dropout rates had increased almost 80% since the 2017 race for men and just 12% for women.</p>
<p>Crouse spoke to a number of experts in different fields, including elite distance coach Steve Magness, who told her: &#34;Women generally seem better able to adjust their goals in the moment, whereas men will see their race as more black or white, succeed or fail, and if it&#39;s fail, why keep going?&#34;</p>
<p>That is to say, for women, simply finishing the race may be important; for men, winning (or beating their personal best time) may be key. And the implications of this gender difference go beyond marathons, or athletic prowess.</p>
<p><a href="https://web.stanford.edu/~niederle/">Muriel Niederle</a>, a professor of economics at Stanford University, has done extensive research on gender differences in competitiveness. Generally, she&#39;s found that men are more likely to enter — and win — competitions than women are.</p>
<p>But Niederle could speculate as to why the Boston Marathon turned out the way it did.</p>
<p>&#34;For women, just the fact that they finish the race has a higher value for them&#34; than it does for men, Niederle told Business Insider. What&#39;s more, that&#39;s not necessarily something they decide in the moment, midway through the race — it&#39;s something they know from the very beginning.</p>
<p>&#34;Women have more to lose in terms of how they think of themselves, or how they think others will view them, when they give up,&#34; Niederle said. &#34;That could make it much more costly for her.&#34;</p>
<p>That&#39;s possibly because of gender stereotypes that suggest women are relatively weak, or not resilient. If they do quit — a marathon or any other kind of competition — they risk playing into those gender stereotypes, she said.</p>
<h2>Men may be more likely to choke under pressure, research suggests</h2>
<p>To be sure, there are other potential explanations for women&#39;s lower dropout rate during the marathon. Business Insider&#39;s Lindsay Dodgson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-psychological-advantage-women-have-over-men-in-sport-2017-12">previously reported</a> on<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308901292_Choking_Under_Pressure_and_Gender"> a study</a> from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland that suggests women are less likely than men to choke under pressure.</p>
<p>The researchers looked at the performance of servers in Grand Slam tennis matches and found that men&#39;s performance dropped more than women&#39;s did at turning points during the match.</p>
<p>One of the study authors, Alex Krumer (who is soon moving to Molde University College in Norway), co-authored <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292140534_Psychological_Momentum_and_Gender">another paper</a> on gender differences in performance during judo contests. Results showed that the effect of winning was stronger in men than in women, in that it motivated them to compete and win again.</p>
<p>Taken together, Krumer told me, these findings suggest that &#34;different psychological motives affect men&#39;s performance more than they affect women&#39;s performance.&#34; That might be especially true in a marathon, where the sheer length of the race means there&#39;s more opportunity for mental hang-ups to seize control.</p>
<p>As Alex Hutchinson, the author of &#34;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0716GZX33/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1">Endure</a>,&#34; told Krouse in the Times article, &#34;Your physical limits are actually mediated by your brain. In most instances, dropping out is a decision.&#34;</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goal-more-attainable-once-you-quit-something-else-2018-6" >The most successful people know a truth about quitting most of us don't understand</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-men-quit-at-higher-rates-than-women-2018-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woke-up-430-am-like-navy-seal-exercise-discipline-2018-7">I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-daily-routine-2018-4A look inside Boston Marathon champion Des Linden's daily routine, which features at least 16 miles of running and 2 breakfastshttps://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-daily-routine-2018-4
Sat, 21 Apr 2018 08:45:00 -0400Áine Cain
<p><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4d40d146e711d008b46d8-1999/ap18106591243170.jpg" border="0" alt="Des Linden Marathon run Boston" data-mce-source="Charles Krupa/AP Images"/></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/boston-marathon">Boston Marathon</a> champion Des Linden is the first American woman to win the event since 1985.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Linden told Business Insider about the daily routine she sticks to when she&#39;s training for a race.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The marathoner&#39;s average day revolves around long runs, but she leaves plenty of time for recovery too.</strong></li>
</ul>
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<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boston-marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Marathon</a> champion Des Linden wasn&#39;t always drawn to her signature event.</p>
<p>&#34;Actually, when I first started watching marathons, I was, like, &#39;That&#39;s insane. Crazy. I would never do that,&#39;&#34; Linden told Business Insider. &#34;So it wasn&#39;t love at first sight by any means.&#34;</p>
<p>But when the professional runner joined the <a href="http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/athletes/hansons-brooks-original-distance-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project</a>, she saw the transformative effect that training for the marathon had on her teammates.</p>
<p>&#34;They just came out the other side as different people,&#34; she said.</p>
<p>Linden was sold. Since then, she&#39;s represented the US at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Linden made history in April by becoming the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985.</p>
<p>She told Business Insider that running marathons has taught her that she&#39;s capable of handling adversity.</p>
<p>&#34;When we think we&#39;re down and out, there&#39;s still a little bit more,&#34; the runner said. &#34;It&#39;s figuring out where the very bottom of your well is. And every time you&#39;re, like, &#39;Wow, that was a little more than I thought.&#39; You can keep pushing that threshold. It&#39;s kind of the same lesson over and over, but it&#39;s just going a little further each time.&#34;</p>
<p>Here&#39;s a look at Linden&#39;s daily routine when she&#39;s training for a marathon:</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-run-right-2017-3" >You're probably running all wrong</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mikaela-shiffrin-skier-morning-routine-2018-2" >US Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin just won gold in Pyeongchang — here's the grueling morning routine that helped her do it</a></strong></p>
<h3>When she's in training mode, Linden packs a ton of mileage into each day. She said that training for a marathon is "really teaching your body how to run when it's really fatigued."</h3>
<img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4d1d6146e712c008b4a8c-400-300/when-shes-in-training-mode-linden-packs-a-ton-of-mileage-into-each-day-she-said-that-training-for-a-marathon-is-really-teaching-your-body-how-to-run-when-its-really-fatigued.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Linden said she wakes up around 6 and starts off the day by reaching for the coffee.</h3>
<img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4d338146e712d008b4ab9-400-300/linden-said-she-wakes-up-around-6-and-starts-off-the-day-by-reaching-for-the-coffee.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3> She'll also eat a light breakfast — a bagel or a piece of toast with some peanut butter. </h3>
<img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4d200146e711c008b4a46-400-300/shell-also-eat-a-light-breakfast-a-bagel-or-a-piece-of-toast-with-some-peanut-butter.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-daily-routine-2018-4#/#on-an-easy-day-linden-will-kick-things-off-with-a-12-mile-run-she-goes-for-14-miles-on-harder-days-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> https://www.businessinsider.com/desiree-linden-shalane-flanagan-bathroom-boston-marathon-2018-4The first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years waited for another racer to use the bathroom during the race and still won by 4 minuteshttps://www.businessinsider.com/desiree-linden-shalane-flanagan-bathroom-boston-marathon-2018-4
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 17:24:16 -0400Tyler Lauletta
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<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4e081146e711c008b4a5b-1389/desiree-linden.jpg" border="0" alt="Desiree Linden" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Elise Amendola"></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Desiree Linden fought through the elements to become the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Early in the race, Linden impressed commentators with a show of sportsmanship, hanging back as a fellow American racer took a bathroom break, and then helping them catch back up with the pack.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Even with the short delay, Linden was able to get back on track, and wound up completing the course four minute faster than her nearest competitor.</strong></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p><br>Desiree Linden made the best of bad conditions on Monday to become the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985.</p>
<p>While her time — <span>2 hours, 39 minutes and 54 seconds — was the slowest winning time since 1978, that only spoke to the difficult conditions runners faced through the 26.2 mile course, battered by a tough wind and cold rain that kept the pace relatively slow.</span></p>
<p><span>Linden's run was a memorable one not only for her triumph over the conditions, but also for her sportsmanship displayed on the course. Almost an hour into the race, fellow American runner Shalane Flanagan took a quick detour to use one of the restrooms set up just off the course.</span></p>
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Shalane Flanagan's detour to the port-a-potty. <a href="https://t.co/lLLCyLhVYz">pic.twitter.com/lLLCyLhVYz</a> </p>— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/985894474898341888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a>
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<p><span>Rather than racing on with the group, Linden chose to hang back with Flanagan and help her make up the lost time and rejoin the main pack. It was a display of sportsmanship that impressed many watching the race.</span></p>
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Actions and behaviors show people who you are. Much respect for <a href="https://twitter.com/des_linden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@des_linden</a> in waiting and helping Shalane get back up to the pack. To me, this shows that they are in it to get an American to win, regardless of which on it is. </p>— Steve Magness (@stevemagness) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/985894138582327296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a>
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<p>The race was undoubtedly one that Linden will never forget. Having come in second place in 2011, just two seconds behind winner <span>Caroline Kilel, taking home the top prize in 2018 came with an extra bit of relief. </span></p>
<p><span>While the weather didn't do the racers any favors in their efforts, Linden didn't seem to mind the intervention from Mother Nature. "It's supposed to be hard," <a href="https://twitter.com/bostonmarathon/status/985921754890752001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she told reporters after the race</a>. "It's good to get it done."</span></p>
<p><span>You can watch the final stretch of Linden's winning race below.</span></p>
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<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8YZCDnHDOGw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p> </p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-daily-routine-2018-4" >A look inside Boston Marathon champion Des Linden's daily routine, which features 12-mile morning runs and two breakfasts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/desiree-linden-shalane-flanagan-bathroom-boston-marathon-2018-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indycar-pit-crew-member-indy-500-2018-7">This pit crew member got hit by a race car — here's why he still loves his job</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-on-how-to-run-a-marathon-2018-4The winner of the Boston Marathon explains how to complete a marathon, from signing up to crossing the finish linehttps://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-on-how-to-run-a-marathon-2018-4
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:04:00 -0400Áine Cain
<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4e2d6146e712a008b4707-1998/ap18106600571177.jpg" border="0" alt="Des Linden boston marathon" data-mce-source="Elise Amendola/AP Images"/></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/boston-marathon">Boston Marathon</a> champion Des Linden is the first American woman to win the event since 1985.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Linden shared some tips on how to run a marathon successfully with Business Insider.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The marathon is a grueling <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-run-a-mile-instead-of-a-marathon-2016-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event</a>, but Linden&#39;s advice can help you make the most of your training — not to mention succeed on the day of the big race.</strong></li>
</ul>
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<p><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/boston-marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Marathon</a> champion Des Linden made history. The professional runner is the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985.</p>
<p>She also previously represented the US at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics.</p>
<p>During an interview with Business Insider last year, Linden said that she thought the event was &#34;insane&#34; when she first became involved in the world of running. But, since joining the <a href="http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/athletes/hansons-brooks-original-distance-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project</a>, she&#39;s established herself as a dominant figure in marathon running.</p>
<p>The event is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-run-a-mile-instead-of-a-marathon-2016-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no walk in the park</a>. It&#39;s ancient origin story involves a soldier named Pheidippides dropping dead after running 26.2 miles in order to report news of the Greeks&#39; victory in the Battle of Marathon.</p>
<p>But Linden has some tips on how to set yourself up for success in the big race.</p>
<p>Here&#39;s Linden&#39;s advice on how to run a marathon:</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-daily-routine-2018-4" >A look inside Boston Marathon champion Des Linden's daily routine, which features 12-mile morning runs and 2 breakfasts</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-run-a-mile-instead-of-a-marathon-2016-7" >It might be healthier to run a mile than a marathon</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mikaela-shiffrin-skier-morning-routine-2018-2" >US Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin just won gold in Pyeongchang — here's the grueling morning routine that helped her do it</a></strong></p>
<h3>Make sure you've decided to run a marathon for the right reasons</h3>
<img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4deac146e711e008b46d9-400-300/make-sure-youve-decided-to-run-a-marathon-for-the-right-reasons.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>"A lot of first-time runners think, 'Oh, the marathon is sexy,'" Linden said. "It's what you want to put on your bucket list."</p>
<p>She said it's better to test yourself with shorter 5K and 10K races, rather than just throwing yourself into a marathon.</p>
<p>"If you're not really ready for it, you're probably not going to love it," she said. "Give yourself a chance to fall in love with it, and you get that by being patient and slowly building towards it. If you can create a love of the process, then you can run for your entire life, which is pretty incredible."</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Take the plunge and sign up</h3>
<img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4debb146e711e008b46da-400-300/take-the-plunge-and-sign-up.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>For runners who've yet to conquer the marathon, Linden said that just signing up can be a huge motivator.</p>
<p>Signing up &mdash; and putting your money down for a race &mdash; will establish your commitment and heighten your resolve.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Get the right shoes</h3>
<img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4df60146e712a008b4714-400-300/get-the-right-shoes.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Linden said you should never "just pick a shoe because it looks cool or because the price is right or it's what's there in front of you."</p>
<p>Instead, she recommended heading to a store that specializes in running shoes, especially if you need help picking one that's right for you.</p>
<p>As a member of the <a href="http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/athletes/hansons-brooks-original-distance-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project</a>, Linden said she wears Hansons-Brooks shoes.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-champion-des-linden-on-how-to-run-a-marathon-2018-4#/#stay-present-in-the-moment-when-youre-training-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> https://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-apologizes-for-boston-marathon-tweet-2017-4Adidas apologizes for congratulating runners who 'survived' the Boston Marathonhttps://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-apologizes-for-boston-marathon-tweet-2017-4
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:29:42 -0400Hayley Peterson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/58f666fbc75d4a20068b532a-1044/screen shot 2017-04-18 at 31233 pm.png" alt="Adidas Tweet" data-mce-source="Twitter/Mike Denison" data-link="https://twitter.com/mikd33"></p><p>Adidas is under fire for a poorly worded email congratulating runners who "survived" the Boston Marathon.</p>
<p>The subject of the email&nbsp;reads: "Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!"</p>
<p>Several people who received the email tweeted pictures of it, prompting widespread outrage.</p>
<p>Critics slammed the wording of the email as insensitive in the wake of the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and wounded dozens more.</p>
<p><span>In a statement to Business Insider Tuesday afternoon, Adidas apologized for the email's subject line.<br></span></p>
<p>"We are incredibly sorry," Adidas spokeswoman&nbsp;Maria Culp said. "Clearly, there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line we sent <span data-term="goog_1367157329"><span>Tuesday</span></span>. We deeply apologize for our mistake. The Boston Marathon is one of the most inspirational sporting events in the world. Every year we’re reminded of the hope and resiliency of the running community at this event."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-bonobos-deal-could-alienate-some-customers-2017-4" >Walmart's possible takeover of Bonobos is infuriating some fans of the high-end menswear brand</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-apologizes-for-boston-marathon-tweet-2017-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/columbia-house-bmg-music-profit-money-business-model-2018-7">How Columbia House sold 12 CDS for $1</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/the-first-woman-to-ever-run-the-boston-marathon-just-did-it-again-50-years-later-2017-4The first woman to ever run the Boston Marathon just did it again 50 years laterhttps://www.businessinsider.com/the-first-woman-to-ever-run-the-boston-marathon-just-did-it-again-50-years-later-2017-4
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 04:40:25 -0400Will Worley
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/58f5d11ddd089517138b4bff-1407/ap357211797008.jpg" alt="Kathrine Switzer boston marathon" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Mary Schwalm" data-mce-caption="Kathrine Switzer, who was the first official woman entrant in the Boston Marathon 50 years ago, acknowledges the crowd as she is introduced before firing the gun to start the women&#39;s elite division at the start of the 2017 Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass., Monday, April 17, 2017."/></p><p>The first woman to officially run the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/boston-marathon">Boston Marathon</a> has marked five decades since her achievement by running it again – at the age of 70. </p>
<p>Kathrine Switzer completed the race under the qualifying time in 4 hours 44 minutes 31 seconds.</p>
<p>She made sporting history by completing the 1967 marathon despite being attacked by the race director at the time for being a woman. </p>
<p>Ms Switzer’s determination to finish the race won her plaudits and paved the way to equality for women in running.</p>
<p>Despite campaigning extensively for female participation in the sport, Ms Switzer has not run a marathon since 2011.</p>
<p>For the 121st Boston Marathon, race organisers have retired bib 261, in honour of the number Ms Switzer wore during the race in 1967. The Boston Marathon has only retired one other number in its history: 61, for 61 races begun by athlete Johnny Kelly.</p>
<p>Ms Switzer – who has been running since she was 12 years old – decided to enter the race aged 20 after encouragement from her coach. Before entering, she had to prove to him she was capable of completing the race’s 26 miles.</p>
<p>“There were no real rules in 1967 stating that the Marathon was for men only,” Ms Switzer said.</p>
<p>“Nor was there anything indicating gender on the entry form. But almost all sports were for men. Women rarely participated. Most people assumed that women could not run the marathon distance and if they tried they would hurt themselves.”</p>
<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/58f5d11ddd089517138b4c00-1900/ap17107731915873.jpg" alt="Kathrine Switzer boston" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Elise Amendola" data-mce-caption="Kathrine Switzer crosses the finish line in the Boston Marathon."/></p>
<p>Signing up using her initials KV Switzer – which didn’t identify her as female – she was allocated the number 261 for the marathon.</p>
<p>Because of the cold weather on the morning of the race, Ms Switzer and the rest of the runners stayed dressed in their warm up tracksuits, which she believes helped her blend in unnoticed by race organisers. </p>
<p>But she wasn’t hiding: “I was very proud of being a woman. I had long hair, wore lipstick and eyeliner to the start line. All the men around me knew that I was a woman.”</p>
<p>Two miles into the marathon, Ms Switzer was attacked by a race official.</p>
<p>“I jerked my head around quickly and looked square into the most vicious face I&#39;d ever seen,” she recalled in her memoir.</p>
<p>“A big man, a huge man, with bared teeth was set to pounce, and before I could react he grabbed my shoulder and flung me back, screaming, &#39;Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!&#39;”</p>
<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/58f5d11ddd089517138b4c01-1900/ap17107740615109.jpg" alt="Kathrine Switzer boston" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Elise Amendola" data-mce-caption="Kathrine Switzer wears the same bib number and displays her medal after finishing the 121st in the Boston Marathon."/></p>
<p>Her boyfriend, who was running with her, managed to shove the official out of the way and Ms Switzer kept running.</p>
<p>“I knew if I dropped out no one would believe women could run distances and deserved to be in the Boston Marathon. They would just think that I was a clown, and that women were barging into events where they had no ability. </p>
<p>“I was serious about my running and I could not let fear stop me.”</p>
<p>Ms Switzer went on to campaign for women’s running and was pivotal in gaining the introduction of the women’s marathon to the 1984 Olympic games. She now runs a campaign named 261 Fearless, which encourages women to run.</p>
<p>Geoffrey Kirui won the men&#39;s race, pulling away from three-time US Olympian Galen Rupp with two miles to go to give Kenya its first men&#39;s victory in five years. Edna Kiplagat won the women&#39;s race to complete the Kenyan sweep.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-first-woman-to-ever-run-the-boston-marathon-just-did-it-again-50-years-later-2017-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-west-point-united-states-military-academy-army-cadets-reception-day-2018-7">INSIDE WEST POINT: What it’s really like for new Army cadets on their first day</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-sign-super-bowl-score-patriots-2017-4A Boston Marathon fan held a sign with the Super Bowl score before the Patriots' wild comeback to motivate runnershttps://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-sign-super-bowl-score-patriots-2017-4
Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:31:55 -0400Scott Davis
<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/58f5249bf40daece018b4f33-1500/undefined" alt="Tom Brady" data-mce-source="Michael J. Ivins/Getty"></p><p></p>
<p>Boston Marathon runners may have gotten some extra motivation from the New England Patriots on Monday.</p>
<p>During the marathon, one fan, presumably also a Patriots fan, stood on the side of the road holding a sign showing the score of Super Bowl 51, when the Atlanta Falcons led the Patriots 28-3.</p>
<p>Of course, the Patriots then promptly went on a historic comeback, scoring 31 unanswered points to win the game 34-28.</p>
<p>The message — don't give up! Nothing like providing some well-meaning support to runners while also trolling Atlanta.</p>
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this guy is at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BostonMarathon?src=hash">#BostonMarathon</a> right now motivating the runners. i love boston. <a href="https://t.co/jOT6kmRJhK">pic.twitter.com/jOT6kmRJhK</a> </p>— abdul 🚀 (@Advil) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854044957526683648">April 17, 2017</a>
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<p> </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-marathon-sign-super-bowl-score-patriots-2017-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-spends-millions-cleveland-cavs-nba-finals-champions-2016-6">How LeBron James makes and spends his millions</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-lost-leg-in-boston-attack-then-ran-marathon-2016-5Three years after losing a leg in the Boston terror attack, this woman ran the marathonhttps://www.businessinsider.com/woman-lost-leg-in-boston-attack-then-ran-marathon-2016-5
Thu, 19 May 2016 11:20:06 -0400A.C. Fowler
<p>When Adrianne Haslet-Davis lost her leg during the Boston terror attack, she wasn't running the Boston Marathon. She wasn't even on the sidelines watching. Instead, on April 15th, 2013, Haslet-Davis was running errands because she knew that with the marathon going on the stores would be emptier than usual.</p>
<p>The clapping and shouting from the marathon's encouraging spectators was a steady backdrop to her day. But<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;suddenly cheers turned to screams, and her life changed forever.</span></p>
<p>Haslet-Davis lost her left leg that day. This year, she returned to the scene in order to run the marathon.</p>
<p>"<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">I wanted to run it for Boston to say a huge, gigantic thank you," Haslet-Davis said. "And a big screw you to the terrorists."</span></p>
<p><em><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Written and produced by A.C. Fowler</span></em></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Follow INSIDER People</strong> <span class="s2"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/insiderpeople/">on Facebook<br></a></span></span><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Follow INSIDER</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/thisisinsider">on YouTube</a></span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-lost-leg-in-boston-attack-then-ran-marathon-2016-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/week-in-photos-2016-4The world in photos this weekhttps://www.businessinsider.com/week-in-photos-2016-4
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:29:08 -0400Courtney Verrill
<p><em>A selection of photos from some of this week's biggest news that you might have missed.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pulitzer-prize-photos-refugee-crisis-2016-4" >17 award-winning photos from 2015 that everyone should see</a></strong></p>
<h3>Kenneth Beavers, 49, holds a candle at a vigil to celebrate the life and music of deceased musician Prince in Los Angeles, California, US, April 21, 2016.</h3>
<img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/571a4e2e52bcd020008be4e3-400-300/kenneth-beavers-49-holds-a-candle-at-a-vigil-to-celebrate-the-life-and-music-of-deceased-musician-prince-in-los-angeles-california-us-april-21-2016.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>See more images of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/prince-photos-2016-4">Prince</a>.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>People listen to Prince's music during a memorial street party outside the First Avenue nightclub on April 21, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.</h3>
<img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/571a3f8a52bcd022008be56a-400-300/people-listen-to-princes-music-during-a-memorial-street-party-outside-the-first-avenue-nightclub-on-april-21-2016-in-minneapolis-minnesota.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton fills out her ballot in the New York presidential primary election at the Grafflin School in Chappaqua, New York, U.S. April 19, 2016. Clinton won the Democratic New York primary.</h3>
<img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/571a3f8952bcd01a008be466-400-300/democratic-us-presidential-candidate-hillary-clinton-fills-out-her-ballot-in-the-new-york-presidential-primary-election-at-the-grafflin-school-in-chappaqua-new-york-us-april-19-2016-clinton-won-the-democratic-new-york-primary.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Read more about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/exit-polls-new-york-hillary-bernie-2016-4">Clinton winning</a> New York.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/week-in-photos-2016-4#/#us-republican-presidential-candidate-donald-trump-points-up-to-indicate-the-height-of-the-wall-he-plans-to-build-as-he-speaks-at-a-campaign-event-in-buffalo-new-york-us-april-18-2016-trump-won-the-republican-new-york-primary-on-april-19-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> https://www.businessinsider.com/ethiopians-sweep-boston-marathon-2016-4Ethiopians sweep Boston Marathonhttps://www.businessinsider.com/ethiopians-sweep-boston-marathon-2016-4
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:27:16 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5715433191058425008bd5aa-1067-800/rtx2ailj.jpg" alt="RTX2AILJ" data-mce-source="USA Today Sports" /></p><p>Ethiopian runners vying for a place in the summer Olympics dominated the Boston Marathon on Monday, taking the top three spots in the men's division for the first time, and the top two spots among the women.</p>
<p>Lemi Berhanu Hayle won for the men in a dramatic late surge against defending champ and fellow Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, covering the notoriously hilly course in two hours, 12 minutes and 45 seconds, as thousands of spectators cheered him.</p>
<p>Hayle said through an interpreter after the race that winning "feels like his birthday."</p>
<p>Ethiopian men have won the Boston marathon six times since 1989, but have never before taken all three spots on the podium. No country has swept the top three spots in the Boston Marathon since Kenya did it in both the men's and women's divisions in 2012, according to marathon officials.</p>
<p>On the women's side, Ethiopian Atsede Baysa won in 2:29:19, overcoming a 37-second deficit in the last five miles (8 km) of the race against training mate Tirfi Tsegaye.</p>
<p>It was the 120th running of the world's oldest continually run annual marathon, and the third since a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers killed three people and injured more than 260 with a bomb attack at the finish line.</p>
<p>Most top U.S. marathoners sat out Boston to train for the Rio Games in August. But Ethiopia and Kenya - whose runners dominated the lead packs - have yet to pick their teams for the Olympics and will consider the Boston results.</p>
<p>The 21-year-old Hayle won the race by pairing off with Desisa to break from the mainly East African pack late in the course. He then drafted off his countryman before surging past him in the final two miles.</p>
<p>Hayle's finish time was slower than the personal best of 2:04:33 he posted in Dubai earlier this year. The Boston marathon record of 2:03:02 was achieved by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.</p>
<p>The top placing American on Monday was Zachary Hine, who took 10th place with a finish of 2:21:37.</p>
<p>Among the women, Baysa, 29, is one of the world's most prolific marathoners and has posted top four finishes in five world marathon majors, including wins in Paris and Chicago.</p>
<p>Kenyan Caroline Rotich, who was defending her 2015 win in Boston and was widely seen as a favorite in Monday's women's race, dropped out early after appearing to hobble around mile four.</p>
<p>The top placing American woman was Neely Spence Gracey, who finished in 9th place in her marathon debut with a time of 2:35:00. She was born 26 years ago on race day as her father, Olympian Steve Spence, ran the course.</p>
<p>"I was told the crowds were pretty spectacular and I was not disappointed," Neely said, adding she achieved her goal of making it into the top 10.</p>
<p>In total, about 30,000 people attempted the world-renowned course, which brings out crowds of spectators holding signs, cheering, drinking beer and barbecuing.</p>
<p>"It's always been a dream of mine to run Boston," said David Harris, 42, of Atlanta, who qualified for the race.</p>
<p>Harris said the 2013 bombings motivated him.</p>
<p>"That whole thing made me want to do this race even more," Harris said, echoing the feeling voiced by many other runners. "As tragic as these things are, it makes us want to come together and show what we can do."</p>
<p>American Meb Keflezighi won Boston in 2014 on the anniversary of the bombings, an emotional win that many said was symbolic of the city's recovery.</p>
<p>The men and women's winners this year will receive $150,000.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>(Additional reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Tom Brown)</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ethiopians-sweep-boston-marathon-2016-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cigna-ceo-explains-the-problem-with-healthcare-in-america-2018-7">Cigna's CEO says that the problem with healthcare in America has nothing to do with employers</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/friend-of-boston-bomber-sentenced-to-three-and-a-half-years-for-obstruction-2015-6Friend of Boston bomber sentenced to three-and-a-half years for obstructionhttps://www.businessinsider.com/friend-of-boston-bomber-sentenced-to-three-and-a-half-years-for-obstruction-2015-6
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:13:48 -0400Scott Malone
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/53cd50e46da8113132520b8f-600-/azamat-tazhayakov.jpeg" border="0" alt="Azamat Tazhayakov" width="600"></p><p>BOSTON (Reuters) - A Kazakh exchange student who was friends with the Boston Marathon bomber was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in U.S. federal prison on Friday for removing a backpack containing fireworks from the suspect's room during a massive manhunt.</p>
<p>Azamat Tazhayakov was the second of three friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to be sentenced for going to Tsarnaev's dorm room three days after the April 2013 bombing, after the FBI released images of Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, identifying them as suspects.</p>
<p>Tazhayakov had been convicted last year of obstruction of justice. Another friend, Robel Phillipos, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who was found guilty of the lesser charge of lying to investigators, is set to be sentenced later on Friday.</p>
<p>The third friend, Dias Kadyrbayev, also of Kazakhstan, was sentenced on Tuesday to six years after pleading guilty to obstructing the investigation into the attack that killed three people and injured 264.</p>
<p>The United States never claimed that the three men had any advanced knowledge of the bombing plan.</p>
<p>"It just makes me sick what Dzohkhar did on April 15," Tazhayakov told the court, holding back tears. "I didn't go there to the dorm room because I made connection that Dzhokhar was some jihadist. I never thought about it. At that moment I saw that one of my friends was alleged bombed and I didn't know if it was true or not."</p>
<p>Prosecutors had sought a four-year sentence for Tazhayakov, well below the statutory maximum of 30 years, which they said reflected his willingness to testify against Tsarnaev.</p>
<p>Prosecutors are seeking a five-year sentence for Phillipos.</p>
<p>All three men, along with Tsarnaev, were 19-year-old students at the University of Massachusetts at the time of the bombing.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev was sentenced to death last month by the same jury that found him guilty of the April 15, 2013, attack.</p>
<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/556dc53f6da8110d23e53b46-898-673/dias-kadyrbayev-azamat-tazhayakov-times-square.jpg" border="0" alt="Dias Kadyrbayev Azamat Tazhayakov Times Square"></p>
<p>During their trials last year, lawyers for Tazhayakov and Phillipos painted their clients as naive, marijuana-smoking teenagers who did not understand the consequences of removing the backpack from Tsarnaev's dorm room.</p>
<p>Kadyrbayev later threw the backpack into a dumpster by the apartment he shared with Tazhayakov. FBI investigators recovered it from a landfill several days later.</p>
<p>Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, a friend of the Phillipos family, urged leniency in a letter to the court, saying, "I can't understand why justice would be served by incarcerating him."</p>
<p>(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Leslie Adler and Tom Brown)</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/friend-of-boston-bomber-sentenced-to-three-and-a-half-years-for-obstruction-2015-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roar-filmed-with-100-untamed-lions-movie-injured-2015-4">70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/jury-selection-will-be-at-the-heart-of-tsarnaevs-appeal-2015-5'There are substantial issues' that could give the Boston Bomber his life backhttps://www.businessinsider.com/jury-selection-will-be-at-the-heart-of-tsarnaevs-appeal-2015-5
Thu, 28 May 2015 12:19:00 -0400Christina Sterbenz
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5567446869bedddd2c0e11f8-600-/boston-bombing-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Boston Bombing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev" width="600"/></p><p>After receiving <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bomber-sentencing-2015-5">the death penalty</a> for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings — which killed three and injured hundreds — 21-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has a years-long legal fight ahead of him.</p>
<p>The jury <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/us/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-death-sentence.html">spent a total of just 14 hours</a> in the penalty phase of the trial after finding Tsarnaev guilty on all 30 criminal counts, but an automatic appeal means his case will drag on.</p>
<p>His chance for a new trial may very well hinge on how the jury was selected for his first trial.</p>
<p>&#34;There are substantial issues relating to jury selection,&#34; <a href="https://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/staff-and-board-directors">Robert Dunham</a>, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told Business Insider. &#34;It&#39;s not infrequent grounds for a reversal ... but there is a well-established case law on improperly selected juries.&#34;</p>
<p>Death-penalty cases, including Tsarnaev&#39;s, typically exclude jurors who are ideologically opposed to capital punishment. In federal capital cases, <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_24">each side has 20 peremptory challenges</a>, or unexplained dismissals of jurors.</p>
<p>In every case, however, attorneys on both sides can dismiss <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/law_related_education_network/how_courts_work/juryselect.html">an unlimited number of jurors</a> for reasons deemed legitimate by the court. Prosecutors in capital cases often use these to dismiss jurors because of their views on the death penalty.</p>
<p>While prosecutors can dismiss jurors who would <em>never</em> impose execution, they can&#39;t get rid of jurors simply because they have <em>concerns </em>about capital punishment, according to the 1968 Supreme Court case <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1967/1967_1015">Witherspoon v. Illinois</a>.</p>
<p>&#34;It&#39;s OK to exclude people who can&#39;t follow the law and their oaths as jurors, but you can&#39;t say that anyone with qualms about capital punishment is ineligible,&#34; <a href="https://www.law.ucla.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/richard-m-re/">Richard Re</a>, an assistant law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, told Business Insider in an email.</p>
<p><img class="float_left" src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/556498fdecad04613e0a15ed-1200-924/tsarnaev-protest.jpg" border="0" alt="Tsarnaev protest" width="600"/>While the details of Tsarnaev&#39;s jury-selection process are sealed for now, the defense probably would have also asked questions to rule out staunchly pro-capital-punishment jurors.</p>
<p>In the appeal, a court would most likely look at how these questions were framed during jury selection. Dunham notes that the following two questions might elicit very different responses:</p>
<p>&#34;Would you always impose the death penalty?&#34;</p>
<p>&#34;Would you always impose the death penalty in a <em>terrorism</em> case?&#34;</p>
<p>Many jurors actually make up their minds about sentencing before the end of a trial. &#34;<a href="http://www.albany.edu/scj/documents/Bowers_Judicature_1996.pdf">Virtually half</a>&#34; of jurors who participated in the <a href="https://www.albany.edu/scj/13189.php">Capital Jury Project</a>, funded by the National Science Foundation, reported they knew the punishment they would give before the trial even began. And three out of 10 were &#34;absolutely convinced&#34; of it.</p>
<p>A thorough voir dire would attempt to weed out jurors who have already decided their vote. As Dunham notes, however, people may respond to attorneys&#39; questions, often poorly worded as it is, with varying levels of self-awareness and even truth.</p>
<p>For example, jurors who oppose the death penalty will most likely acknowledge they wouldn&#39;t impose a capital sentence. But whether because of unspecific questions or untruths, jurors who support the death penalty probably won&#39;t say they would administer capital punishment regardless of mitigating factors, like Tsarnaev&#39;s age and his apparent remorse — even though they might.</p>
<p>These factors suggest Tsarnaev&#39;s jury might have been &#34;rigged&#34; in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-boston-bombing-jury-was-rigged-to-vote-for-death-2015-5">favor of the death penalty</a>. The court removed outliers of one opinion while potentially allowing the opposite end of the spectrum to stay.</p>
<p>&#34;It&#39;s not just that the jurors were predisposed to a death verdict — which they were — it&#39;s that the arguments that would have been advanced by the other jurors that would have persuaded them otherwise are not present in the jury room,&#34; Dunham said.</p>
<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/556738a569bedde15f0e11f4-1200-924/judy-clarke-6.jpg" border="0" alt="Judy Clarke"/></p>
<p>Because the judge also denied Tsarnaev&#39;s request for a change of venue <a href="http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Dzhokhar-Tsarnaevs-Lawyers-File-4th-Change-of-Venue-Motion-294730121.html">four times</a>, the trial remained in Boston. That meant attorneys had the hard task of selecting jurors without significant ties to the marathon or too much knowledge of the crime — on top of ones who didn&#39;t already oppose the death penalty. In the city of the attack, in a state that majorly opposes (and outlaws) the death penalty, the remaining jury pool looks rather tiny.</p>
<p>While 48% of respondents in a nationwide <a href="https://today.yougov.com/news/2014/02/06/poll-results-tsarnaev-death-penalty/">YouGov</a> poll supported the Justice Department&#39;s decision to seek the death penalty against Tsarnaev, fewer than 20% in Boston believed he should actually be put to death, according to a poll conducted by the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/26/globe-poll-shows-diminishing-support-for-death-penalty-for-tsarnaev/S3GMhFlGj5VUkZrmLzh1iN/story.html">The Boston Globe</a>.</p>
<p>&#34;The benefits to staying in Boston are the normal benefits of keeping a trial near the scene of the crime: it empowers the aggrieved public to express itself through the jury verdict,&#34; Re explained. &#34;The negative, obviously, is that local people can more easily absorb preconceptions and feel pressured to vote a certain way — in other words, the danger of local democratic empowerment is a loss of impartiality.&#34;</p>
<p>Tsarnaev&#39;s judge, however, George O&#39;Toole, can point to a precedent — <a href="http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2009/2009_08_1394">Skilling v. United States</a> — for his decision to keep the trial in Boston. In 2006, Texas convicted Jeffrey Skilling, the former CEO of Enron, of securities fraud and insider trading, among other charges. On appeal, he argued that the Houston jury was biased because the area, and thus the people living there, was <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/05/09/10-reasons-why-houston-no-longer-cares-about-enron-or-whether-jeff-skilling-gets-out-of-jail-early/">heavily affected</a> by the company&#39;s bad dealings. While there were dissenters, the Supreme Court found that Skilling&#39;s negative publicity didn&#39;t prevent him from receiving a fair trial — especially because Houston was the fourth-most-populous city in the country, allowing for a large jury pool.</p>
<p>Regardless of the outcome of his appeal, Tsarnaev will not be put to death <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bomber-wont-be-put-to-death-anytime-soon-due-to-federal-moratorium-on-executions-2015-5">anytime soon</a>. Since 2011, the Justice Department has effectively had a moratorium on capital punishment while it reviews death-penalty policy. And of the 80 federal death sentences handed down since 1988, only three defendants — including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — have actually been executed.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev&#39;s lawyer, Judy Clarke, <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/05/16/death-for-tsarnaev-mars-judy-clarke-perfect-record/nXPmzIQrLo2Dn43yvOTAYO/story.html">also has an excellent track record</a> with high-profile capital cases. Tsarnaev was her first client to receive the death penalty.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jury-selection-will-be-at-the-heart-of-tsarnaevs-appeal-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/container-ships-collide-suez-canal-egypt-2015-3">Watch these giant container ships collide near the Suez Canal</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/this-might-be-the-biggest-obstacle-to-executing-the-boston-bomber-2015-5This might be the biggest obstacle to executing the Boston Bomberhttps://www.businessinsider.com/this-might-be-the-biggest-obstacle-to-executing-the-boston-bomber-2015-5
Sat, 16 May 2015 10:01:00 -0400MAURICE CHAMMAH
<p data-hash="0f6b66"><img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55574cb3eab8ead32ef248f7-1000-750/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-49.jpg" border="0" alt="Dzhokhar Tsarnaev"/></p><p>A jury in Boston sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death on Friday, but it will be years before he faces an execution, if he faces one at all. </p>
<p data-hash="16f1b7">After a formal sentencing hearing, Tsarnaev will be taken to federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana, to wait out years of appeals. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh gave up his appeals, but still spent four years waiting to be executed. The other two recent federal lethal injections, of <a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/05/15/mcveigh-garza-jones-tsarnaev">Louis Jones and Juan Paul Garza</a>, each took eight years from trial to execution.</p>
<p data-hash="2707ff">But there are new factors that might make Tsarnaev’s execution take even longer. </p>
<p data-hash="32ed06">Since 2010, the federal government has been unable to carry out executions, creating a de facto moratorium, and the reason may read as familiar; the federal government has had the same problems finding lethal injection drugs as many state prison systems. They still have not formalized a new lethal injection protocol.</p>
<p data-hash="48dcdd">The scant bits of public information about federal lethal injections — which shed light on the possibilities surrounding Tsarnaev’s fate — can be found in the court records of an obscure murderer named James Roane, Jr. </p>
<p data-hash="52b6db">In 1993, 26-year-old Roane was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/19/us/3-sentenced-to-death-under-us-drug-law.html">sentenced to death</a> for murders connected to a large smuggling operation. In 2005, his attorney and several others sued the federal government, arguing that their three-drug cocktail — the same one used by virtually every executing state — amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The lawsuit was still unresolved by 2011, when federal prosecutors told the judge they could no longer obtain one of those drugs, sodium thiopental. </p>
<p data-hash="52b6db"><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53ff3438ecad04623750b797-1200-858/rtr3hrgi.jpg" border="0" alt="lethal injection texas"/><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It’s the same story that has been widely reported in various states, most recently in Jeffrey Stern’s </span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/06/execution-clayton-lockett/392069/">cover story for The Atlantic</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> this week.</span></p>
<p data-hash="723696">The judge in Roane’s case ordered federal prosecutors to provide status reports on their efforts to secure a protocol. “The Department of Justice and the Bureau are currently engaged in a review of the protocol,” reads the latest status report, dated May 1, 2015. “This assessment is ongoing, and no final determinations have been made as to specific changes to the protocol.”</p>
<p data-hash="8a9b38">“They’ve been working on it for a while now,” says Roane’s attorney, Paul Enzinna. “That’s the sum total of all I know.”</p>
<p data-hash="93b765">Since Tsarnaev’s appeals will likely take years, his fate — and the fate of all federal death row prisoners — depends on whether the federal government finds a protocol. And how hard they are trying now and will continue to try are unknown.</p>
<p data-hash="93b765">Recently departed Attorney General Eric Holder, whose office oversees federal prosecutions, publicly expressed his opposition to the death penalty (<a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/01/07/eric-holder-dzhokar-tsarnaev-and-the-death-penalty">even as his staffers secured Tsarnaev’s death sentence</a>). His successor, Loretta Lynch, says execution is sometimes <a href="https://twitter.com/Legal_Times/status/599297640853950464/photo/1">“fitting punishment.”</a></p>
<p data-hash="101250a">Last year, Barack Obama indicated that the federal government might <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/white-house-balks-on-ending-death-penalty.html">reevaluate its policy</a> on the death penalty in the wake of a grisly botched execution in Oklahoma. Tsarnaev’s appeals will likely run out during a future presidential administration</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/this-might-be-the-biggest-obstacle-to-executing-the-boston-bomber-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/container-ships-collide-suez-canal-egypt-2015-3">Watch these giant container ships collide near the Suez Canal</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bomber-wont-be-put-to-death-anytime-soon-due-to-federal-moratorium-on-executions-2015-5Here's why the Boston Bomber won't be put to death anytime soonhttps://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bomber-wont-be-put-to-death-anytime-soon-due-to-federal-moratorium-on-executions-2015-5
Fri, 15 May 2015 16:56:00 -0400Marcus Baram
<p>A jury may have sentenced Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death Friday afternoon, but he won&#39;t be executed anytime soon due to a moratorium on federal executions.</p>
<p>The moratorium has been in place <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304178104579538613566626306">since 2011</a> due to a review of the protocol used by the Bureau of Prisons, including a <a href="https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/02/holder-backs-death-penalty-moratorium-202716.html">shortage </a>of the drug sodium thiopental used in lethal injections, which has also disrupted executions in many states. The Obama administration was set in 2010 to execute Jeffrey Paul, convicted in 1997 of killing retired Park Service employee Sherman Williams, but the moratorium interrupted those plans.</p>
<p>Asked whether the moratorium is still in effect and whether that means Tsarnaev will not be executed until the moratorium is lifted, Justice Department spokesman Patrick Rodenbush told Business Insider:</p>
<p><span>“The Justice Department is continuing its review of the federal protocol used by the Bureau of Prisons as well as policy issues related to the death penalty, and we have, in effect, a moratorium in place on federal executions in the meantime.”</span></p>
<p><span><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53621de8ecad04e32ce33b5a-1200-858/lethalinj.jpeg" border="0" alt="lethalinj"/></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In February, Politico reported that the &#34;administration told a judge the <a href="https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/02/holder-backs-death-penalty-moratorium-202716.html">review was in its final stages</a> but officials later backed away from that.&#34;</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In addition, any execution is likely to be delayed due to a lengthy appeals process in such cases. Of the 80 federal death sentences handed down since 1988, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/15/us/federal-sentences-death-row/">only three</a>, including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, have actually been executed. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Currently, 60 people are on federal death row, and 3,000 are on death row in state prisons across the US.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bomber-wont-be-put-to-death-anytime-soon-due-to-federal-moratorium-on-executions-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexican-teen-forcibly-sent-to-texas-mistaken-identity-2015-4">This Mexican teen was forcibly sent to the US after being mistaken for a Texas woman's abducted daughter</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-important-officials-are-reacting-to-the-boston-bombers-death-sentence-2015-5Here's how important officials are reacting to the Boston Bomber's death sentencehttps://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-important-officials-are-reacting-to-the-boston-bombers-death-sentence-2015-5
Fri, 15 May 2015 16:49:00 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/555659cb6bb3f7f140806aff-1200-924/loretta-lynch-9.jpg" border="0" alt="Loretta Lynch"></p><p>A U.S. jury on Friday sentenced Boston Marathon&nbsp;bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for helping carry out the 2013 attack that killed three people and wounded 264 others at the world-renowned race, taking 15 hours to reach a decision.</p>
<p>Here are some reactions to the verdict.</p>
<h3>US Attorney General Loretta Lynch</h3>
<p>“We know all too well that no verdict can heal the souls of those who lost loved ones, nor the minds and bodies of those who suffered life-changing injuries from this cowardly attack.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">But the ultimate penalty is a fitting punishment for this horrific crime and we hope that the completion of this prosecution will bring some measure of closure to the victims and their families.”</span></p>
<h3>Boston<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;Mayor&nbsp;</span>Martin Walsh</h3>
<p>"I hope this verdict provides a small amount of closure to the survivors, families, and all impacted by the violent and&nbsp;tragic events surrounding&nbsp;the 2013 Boston Marathon.&nbsp;We will forever remember and honor those who lost their lives and were affected by&nbsp;those senseless acts of violence on our city. Today, more than ever, we know that Boston&nbsp;is a city of hope, strength and&nbsp;resilience, that can overcome any challenge."</p>
<h3>Massachusetts Senate&nbsp;President&nbsp;Stan Rosenberg</h3>
<p>"The verdict on the penalty will not erase the terror and pain inflicted on our community at&nbsp;the 2013 Boston Marathon. Although I have never been a supporter of the death penalty, I hope this will give us some sense of closure and justice delivered."<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h3>US Assistant Attorney General for National Security&nbsp;John Carlin</h3>
<p>"The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev proved incontrovertibly that he perpetrated a gruesome terror attack at&nbsp;the Boston Marathon&nbsp;that took the lives of three spectators and injured hundreds of men, women and children and later murdered a police officer.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev is an unrepentant terrorist held to account by a justice system that provides due process of law even to those who commit the most horrific offenses. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected, and hope the conclusion of this trial provides an important measure of justice to those still healing."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-important-officials-are-reacting-to-the-boston-bombers-death-sentence-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-oleary-comments-work-life-balance-shark-tank-2015-5">A 'Shark Tank' investor reveals how to really achieve work-life balance</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/the-boston-bomber-said-no-one-deserves-to-suffer-as-his-victims-did-2015-5'Dead Man Walking' nun says the Boston bomber is 'genuinely sorry' for the killingshttps://www.businessinsider.com/the-boston-bomber-said-no-one-deserves-to-suffer-as-his-victims-did-2015-5
Mon, 11 May 2015 04:10:00 -0400Scott Malone and Elizabeth Barber
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5550c7216da8112f587dced7-585-438/tsarnaev-15.jpg" border="0" alt="Tsarnaev"></p><p>Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told a Roman Catholic nun who is a prominent death-penalty opponent that "no one deserves to suffer" as the victims of the deadly 2013 attacks had, the nun testified on Monday.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev's trial is entering its final stages. The federal jury that last month found the 21-year-old guilty of killing three people and wounding 264 others will soon begin deliberating whether to sentence him to death or life in prison without possibility of release.</p>
<p>"He said it emphatically. He said no one deserves to suffer like they did," the nun, Sister&nbsp;<a class="cite">Helen Prejean</a>&nbsp;said on Monday. "I had every reason to think that he was taking it in and that he was genuinely sorry for what he did."</p>
<p>The two homemade pressure-cooker bombs that ripped through the crowd at the race's crowded finish line on April 15, 2013, caused about 17 people to lose limbs. Through the guilt and sentencing phases of the trial, the jury heard survivors of the bombings and the family and friends of some of those who died discuss the disfiguring injuries that resulted from the blasts.</p>
<p>Prejean, who said she had met with Tsarnaev five times this year, inspired the 1993 book and 1995 film "<a class="cite">Dead Man Walking</a>."</p>
<p>The defense rested its case after Prejean's testimony. Tsarnaev did not take the witness stand.</p>
<p>Prosecutors, who are seeking the death penalty, contend that Tsarnaev, an ethnic Chechen, was an adherent of Al Qaeda's militant Islamic ideology who mounted the attack "to punish&nbsp;<a class="cite">America</a>" for US military campaigns in Muslim lands.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5537e49b6da811b41f84b11a-552-414/tsarnaev-2.png" border="0" alt="tsarnaev finger blur"></p>
<p>Defense attorneys contend that he was a willing but secondary player in a scheme driven by his 26-year-old brother.</p>
<p><a class="cite">Tamerlan Tsarnaev</a>&nbsp;died April 19, 2013, after a gunfight with the police that ended when Dzhokhar inadvertently ran him over while speeding away from the scene in a stolen vehicle. Hours earlier, the pair had shot a university police officer to death as they prepared to flee&nbsp;<a class="cite">Boston</a>.</p>
<p>In eight days of testimony, Tsarnaev's public defenders have called 44 witnesses.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev, who had been a college student with poor grades at the time of the attack, has not spoken on his own behalf and is not obligated to take the witness stand.</p>
<p>Last week, defense attorneys called witnesses, including Russian relatives of Tsarnaev who recalled him as a kind, loving child. They said they were fearful when Tamerlan and his mother,&nbsp;<a class="cite">Zubeidat Tsarnaeva</a>, turned to militant Islam.</p>
<p>One of Tsarnaev's aunts, 64-year-old&nbsp;<a class="cite">Patimat Suleimanova</a>, was so overcome at the sight of her nephew sitting at the defense table in federal court in&nbsp;<a class="cite">Boston</a>&nbsp;that she began crying and was unable to testify.</p>
<p><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/553081d16bb3f79415e8a4d5-1200-858/rtr4xfo2.jpg" border="0" alt="Boston Marathon bombing"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">After the defense rested its case, prosecutors called to the stand a&nbsp;</span><a class="cite">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;agent who oversees the program that determines what level of restrictions federal prisoners face while serving their sentences.</span></p>
<p><a class="cite">Martin Richard</a>, 8, Chinese exchange student&nbsp;<a class="cite">Lu Lingzi</a>, 23, and restaurant manager&nbsp;<a class="cite">Krystle Campbell</a>, 29, died in the bombing. The Tsarnaev brothers shot dead&nbsp;<a class="cite">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>&nbsp;police officer&nbsp;<a class="cite">Sean Collier</a>&nbsp;three days later.</p>
<p>During the guilt and sentencing phases of the trial, the jury heard from friends and relatives of all four people killed by the Tsarnaevs, as well as several people who lost limbs when shrapnel from the two pressure-cooker bombs ripped through the crowd of spectators, volunteers, and athletes at the marathon.</p>
<p>Prejean, who first met Tsarnaev in March as his trial was getting under way, described first setting eyes on the bomber.</p>
<p>"I walked in the room and I looked at his face and I remembered, 'Oh my God, he's so young.' Which he is," Prejean said. "I sensed he was very respectful, and I felt it was pretty easy to establish a rapport."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-boston-bomber-said-no-one-deserves-to-suffer-as-his-victims-did-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roar-filmed-with-100-untamed-lions-movie-injured-2015-4">70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/sentencing-phase-will-throw-the-door-open-on-secretive-boston-marathon-bomber-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-2015-4Sentencing phase will 'throw open' door on secretive Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaevhttps://www.businessinsider.com/sentencing-phase-will-throw-the-door-open-on-secretive-boston-marathon-bomber-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-2015-4
Tue, 21 Apr 2015 11:28:56 -0400Ryan Gorman
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img style="float:right;" src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/553665b46bb3f73e6967867b-1200-924/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-sketch-8.jpg" border="0" alt="Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sketch"/>America’s most infamous convicted terrorist remains one of its biggest mysteries.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Despite a long trial, little is known about Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev outside of his age (21), his laidback demeanour and that he admitted to carrying out the terror attack with brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">That is about to change as the sentencing phase of the trial begins.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The jury will receive a lot of information about him, his life, how he grew up, where he was emotionally,” defense attorney George Kendall told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/us/victims-in-boston-marathon-bombings-are-split-on-death-penalty.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The series of hearings will determine whether he faces life in prison or the death penalty, a decision to be made after family and friends testify to judge and jury about their interactions with the mystery man.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The sentencing phase is going to be fascinating,” J. Reid Meloy, a San Diego psychologist and longtime criminal consultant, told the <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/04/boston_marathon_bombing_penalty_phase_set_and_dzhokhar_tsarnaev" target="_blank">Boston Herald</a>. “You’re going to hear from doctors about his history and you’ll get a tremendous amount of data. The doors are going to be thrown wide-open on him.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Tsarnaev, who was born in Kyrgyzstan, never took the stand, he never spoke of his motivations for the attack or any guilt he may now feel. He instead let his lawyers speak. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“They suggested he kept his distress over his splintered family and failing college grades hidden from others, and soon became vulnerable to the jihadist path offered by a radicalized older brother,” said the <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/18/tsarnaev-defense-expert-likely-try-paint-sympathetic-portrait-marathon-bomber/oK3TCR91lyOAmbTu8wDteL/story.html#" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Tsarnaev sometimes laughed with attorneys during moments before and after daily legal proceedings but mostly kept to himself and even appeared bored during the actual trial, according to reporters tweeting from the court room.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This persona has drawn comparisons to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“McVeigh was polite, personable and thoughtful in his jail cell, yet silent, brooding and disengaged in court. He would be very stoic, just looking straight ahead, showing no expression in the courtroom,” <span>Larry Homenick, a former chief deputy U.S. marshal who guarded Oklahoma City bomber McVeigh during his trial, told the Herald</span>. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="line-height: 1.5em;">“He called it his ‘game face.’”</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br/></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="line-height: 1.5em;">A <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jahars-world-20130717" target="_blank">Rolling Stone</a> profile of Tsarnaev painted a starkly contrasting picture of the face the world has come to know since the bombing.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#34;A<span>fter several months of interviews with friends, teachers and coaches still reeling from the shock, what emerges is a portrait of a boy who glided through life, showing virtually no signs of anger, let alone radical political ideology or any kind of deeply felt religious beliefs,&#34; the magazine explained.</span><span><br/></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>An honor society student in high school, Tsarnaev played basketball and was also on the wrestling team, his former coach called him &#34;a natural,&#34; according to Rolling Stone. </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He was even described by one person as a &#34;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">cuddly kitten&#34; during his childhood.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">McVeigh was put to death in a federal prison just months before the 9/11 terror attacks. He is the only federal prisoner to ever receive a death sentence.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A Boston jury is now tasked with deciding whether to send Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to die or spend the rest of his life behind bars. But first they must get to know him.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sentencing-phase-will-throw-the-door-open-on-secretive-boston-marathon-bomber-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-time-lapse-video-day-night-2015-2">This incredible time-lapse shows a side of Boston you've never seen before</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/meb-keflezighi-describes-why-he-began-running-2015-4Champion marathoner Meb Keflezighi says he only started running to get an A in 7th grade gym classhttps://www.businessinsider.com/meb-keflezighi-describes-why-he-began-running-2015-4
Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:46:00 -0400Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/553519de69bedd056f8b456c-1172-879/meb-keflezighi-6.jpg" border="0" alt="meb keflezighi"></p><p>Meb Keflezighi, the winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, is defending his title on Monday.</p>
<p>Keflezighi, who also took home a silver medal in the men's marathon in the 2004 Olympics, has become one of the most famous runners in America.</p>
<p>In an interview with Business Insider while promoting Epson's Runsense GPS watch, Keflezighi said his career as a runner began rather simply — he wanted a good grade in gym class.</p>
<p>After Keflezighi and his parents moved from Italy to the United States in 1987, seeking a better opportunity for education, Keflezighi said he was good at soccer, but he didn't even know running was considered a sport.</p>
<p>"It was an accident, it happened by accident," Keflezighi said. "It was just seventh grade, a P.E. teacher said if you run hard, you can get an A or a B — if you don’t run, you get a D or an F."</p>
<p>Keflezighi said he was also motivated because if students ran a mile in under six minutes and 50 seconds, they could get a T-shirt from their junior high school. Keflezighi finished in five minutes and 20 seconds.</p>
<p>"It got me an A and a t-shirt."</p>
<p>Keflezighi added, "My running was discovered. Who ever would have thought that would change my life?"</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meb-keflezighi-describes-why-he-began-running-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-intensity-interval-training-workout-2015-4">This interval cardio workout is the key to burning fat fast</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/parents-of-8-year-old-boston-marathon-bombing-victim-explain-why-they-oppose-the-death-penalty-for-tsarnaev-2015-4Parents of 8-year-old Boston marathon bombing victim explain why they oppose the death penalty for Tsarnaevhttps://www.businessinsider.com/parents-of-8-year-old-boston-marathon-bombing-victim-explain-why-they-oppose-the-death-penalty-for-tsarnaev-2015-4
Thu, 16 Apr 2015 23:50:00 -0400Bryan Logan
<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5530809cecad043170e8a4d5-1200-600/bill-and-denise-richards-boston-marathon-bombing-3.jpeg" border="0" alt="Bill and Denise Richards, Boston Marathon bombing"/></p><p>Bill and Denise Richards, the parents of the youngest victim to die in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings have declared they are against the death penalty for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/verdict-reached-in-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-case-2015-4">convicted bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev</a>.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/16/end-anguish-drop-death-penalty/ocQLejp8H2vesDavItHIEN/story.html?hootPostID=01fb642503878e4b2c5b71a32cf7de0e">Boston Globe editorial</a>, the Richards talk about their son, Martin, who was one of the three people killed after two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the Boylston Street finish line, April 15, 2013.</p>
<blockquote class="blockquote">We understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed. We were there. We lived it. The defendant murdered our 8-year-old son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter, and stole part of our soul.</blockquote>
<p>The family says they don&#39;t want their memories of &#34;Marathon Monday&#34; to be marred by Tsarnaev. They expressed their concern that if Tsarnaev is sentenced to death, it would lead to &#34;<span>years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day&#34; of their lives.</span></p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/553081e9eab8eadf6be8a4d6-1200-924/boston-marathon-bombing-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Boston Marathon bombing"/><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Richards stated their position simply: &#34;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The minute the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family.&#34;</span></p>
<p>The couple made sure to acknowledge local and federal police agencies that helped take Tsarnaev into custody and they expressed gratitude for the federal prosecutors who successfully argued for Tsarnaev&#39;s conviction.</p>
<p>Others are also saying no to a Tsarnaev death sentence, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-warren-says-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-shouldnt-get-the-death-penalty-2015-4">including Sen. Elizabeth Warren</a> (D-Massachusetts), who says &#34;He should die in prison.&#34;</p>
<p>The Boston Globe&#39;s editorial board took a hard line, writing that death would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-globe-editorial-board-wants-to-spare-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-death-penalty-2015-4">&#34;<span>substitute vengeance for justice, and risk letting him become a martyr.&#34;</span></a><span><br/></span></p>
<p>Jurors are expected to return to court next week for the penalty phase of the trial, which the judge overseeing the case says could last as long as four weeks.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boston-bombings-the-full-story-of-how-two-men-terrorized-a-city-2015-4#ixzz3XXAh8go0" >The full story of how 2 deranged young men terrorized an American city</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parents-of-8-year-old-boston-marathon-bombing-victim-explain-why-they-oppose-the-death-penalty-for-tsarnaev-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/container-ships-collide-suez-canal-egypt-2015-3">Watch these giant container ships collide near the Suez Canal</a></p> https://www.businessinsider.com/why-tsarnaev-deserves-the-mercy-of-a-life-sentence-2015-4Why Tsarnaev deserves the mercy of a life sentencehttps://www.businessinsider.com/why-tsarnaev-deserves-the-mercy-of-a-life-sentence-2015-4
Sun, 12 Apr 2015 18:03:18 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/552aeafb6da8110e7bc9eebe-1200-924/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-sketch-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sketch"></p><p>The same 12 jurors who convicted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing last week will soon be asked to impose one of two punishments on him: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole. They will hear testimony from a string of witnesses and listen to arguments from both sides. A decision is expected in May.</p>
<p>This choice, of course, is theirs alone to make. The 12 men and women from the Boston area were selected in this high-profile federal trial in part because they expressed no qualms about capital punishment, which is allowed under federal law. Yet to impose the death penalty, they must do so with unanimous consent. One juror can let Mr. Tsarnaev survive.</p>
<p>This bar is set high because government is rightly concerned about violating the sanctity of life in executing someone. It needs to set a standard far higher than that set by Tsarnaev and his now-dead brother in their brutal killing of innocent people.</p>
<p>The rest of us can only hope the jury makes the right choice, one that will help prevent a similar attack. Deterrence of crime is the centerpiece of justice, more so than retribution and the strong emotions of vengeance and hatred that drive it. Tsarnaev was convicted for his criminal actions, not for what he believes, his motives, or his past. Law enforcement is focused on specific crimes and the prevention of them. The same lens of justice needs to apply to the penalty for Tsarnaev and must deal with this question: Which punishment will influence the actions of other potential terrorists?</p>
<p>His defense attorneys are expected to argue that Tsarnaev deserves a life sentence because he admits the crime, that he was 19 years old at the time, and that he was under the influence of his older brother and perhaps even influenced by his alleged drug use. These points are all debatable but they at least hint at the main reason for imposing a life sentence. A degree of mercy might open the possibility over time that Tsarnaev will renounce his crime and plea for others not to kill in the name of misguided jihad, as he did.</p>
<p>If Tsarnaev does repent and reform, it will not be because he expects to be set free. His life sentence will come with no parole. Any repentance could only be from the heart, and thus all the more effective in potentially persuading others not to follow his example.</p>
<p>The mercy of imposing a life sentence in this case might eventually be seen by Tsarnaev as an expression of grace, which is a powerful antidote to sin. “Go and sin no more,” said Jesus to the adulteress after not condemning her and persuading others not to condemn her and to stone her to death.</p>
<p>Mercy itself has an aspect of the divine to it, as Shakespeare expressed in the “The Merchant of Venice”:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>[Mercy] is an attribute to God himself;</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>And earthly power doth then show likest God’s</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>When mercy seasons justice.</em></p>
<p>Those who wish to impose the death penalty in this case may see that irreversible penalty as the better deterrence. But a far more effective deterrence would be the persuasive power of a convict who someday decides not to die as a martyr and who, after reflecting on his actions and the grace shown to him, lives instead as a model to others. That possibility deserves a voice in the jury room.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-tsarnaev-deserves-the-mercy-of-a-life-sentence-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-sex-happy-couples-have-every-month-relationships-science-2015-3">Here's how much sex happy couples have every month</a></p>